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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spring — a coil
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lean — thin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lean — to bend
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. object — to protest
  11. snap — to click
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. object — a thing
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. spring — the season
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. object — an aim
  19. bark — to shout
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. spring — of water
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com